NORTHLANDER SPOTTED TESTING ON TRACK DEC. 19, MAYBE MAKING ‘CHRISTMAS WISHES’ COME TRUE FOR MANY IN 2026

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

MUSKOKA — Someone’s Christmas wish may come true sooner than anyone thought.

When North Bay MPP Vic Fedeli sent out his annual holiday card he said his wish was to see the Northlander back on track in 2026.

Well, it seems that was sooner than later according to some eagle eyes.

The distinctive new blue and yellow train was apparently spotted doing winter testing.

That makes at least a couple of optimistic enthusiasts in Gravenhurst happy, according to some email threads Judy Humphries and Bob Barnes shared over Christmas.

Judy Humphries’s friend Gord Young, of the Lakefield Heritage, spotted and photographed this Northlander being tested almost a week before Christmas. PHOTO Gord Young

They have been fighting to return the Northlander to the Gravenhurst Train Station with little luck. However, it looks like the Northlander buses could switch its stop in Gravenhurst back to the Train Station.

“The spray on the side of the train, I would think, indicates some running at-speed. A good sign,” wrote Barnes. “The pusher loco at the back end would be the en route trip delivery engine.”

Said Humphries, of the Gravenhurst Archives: “A friend from Lakefield sent this to me (Dec. 23), a photo that I believe was taken (Dec. 19) ago purporting to capture the train type that we can expect in January or February.

“Hope it’s all true,” she says.

North Bay MPP Vic Fedeli’s may only have to look just a little further under his tree to find the Northlander back on track in the next couple of months dreamy train supporters wish themselves. PHOTO Vic Fedeli on X

Her friend Gord Young, of the Lakefield Heritage, wrote: “Great news for Gravenhurst !!! Just seen/photographed this, the first of three train sets for the Northlander. No date is firm yet, but expect to see them sometime in Jan.-Feb.”

Young did not say where exactly he photographed the train, but creditted Nevill Browne for the tip.

Young says: “These ARE PROVEN  train sets. Unlike the Dutch-TEE’s. These Siemens ‘Charger’ train sets have been running successfully from Seattle to San Francisco for nigh on a decade. with No — ZERO trouble.”

He added: “like the Dutch-TEE’s, that grille work near the end of the locomotive is the generator for lighting and heating. Siemens SCV-42 (Charger) – Rail Fans Canada.

They use a well-known Cummins diesel-generator set that has been around in different incarnations for 25-some years, he says

“So … a ‘scoop’ for G-Archives to break the new-news for Gravenhurst/Bracebridge and Huntsville.”

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